Gun mounting



Jan. 7, 1941. MOTLEY 2,228,179

GUN MOUNT I NG Filed Feb. 5, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 7, 1941.

L. MOTLEY GUN MOUNTING Filed Feb. 5, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w xlw xl KPatented Jan. 7, 1941 UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE Application February 5, 1038, Serial No. 189,005 In GreatBritain February 26, 1937 '6 Claims. (Cl. ss-sr) This invention relatesto gun mountings, particularly, but not exclusively, for machine gunsand automatic rifles. v a

The object of the invention is the provision s of an improved mountingof this character which will be universal. enabling the gun to movefreely, in any direction while at the same time supporting the weight ofthe gun in any position, and not impeding either the sight line ID orthe movement of the gunners body. The gun mounting is thus particularlyuseful in connection with anti-aircraft work.

A gun mounting in accordance with the invention'comprises a rotatablegunners seat, and a gun-supporting part which swings substantially aboutthe axis of rotation of the gunners seat and also about another axistransverse to said axis of rotation of the gunners seat.

In order that the invention may be the more 20 clearly understood a gunmounting in accordance therewith will now be described with reference tothe accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of said gun mount- 2 Figure 2 is an endelevation of the same.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of a portion illustrating a slightmodification.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2 the gunner sits upon a rotatablegunners seat I, and the 30 barrel of the gun (not shown) is supported bymeans of standard fittings i, 3 carried by a gun mounting which is free,as a whole, to revolve about the vertical axis X-X of the seat as thegunner himself so revolves, so that the muzzle 35 always will be infront of the gunner. The gun mounting itself is also so articulated thatthe part which supports the barrel is free to rotate both about avertical axis Y-Y located at the back of the gunner, thereby enablingthe gun to 40 swing rapidly in a horizontal direction, and about ahorizontal axisZ-Z, also located at the back of the gunner andintersecting the vertical axis Y-Y, whereby the gun is enabled to swingin a vertical direction.

The gunners seat I is rigidly mounted on the top of a spindle l whichrotates in a main fixed vertical supporting tube I which is itselfsupported by means of legs i. The supporting tube I is provided withbearing elements I and I at the top and bottom thereof for aligning thespindie 4, and ball bearings 9 are provided as shown v the means,- asshown, by which the gunners seat is secured to the spindle 4.

For constituting an adJustable friction drag on the rotation of thegunners seat a nut H is screwed on to a stud l2 projecting from thebottom end of the spindle, a friction washer ll being clamped by saidnut against the bottom end of said tube Ii and bearing element I.

The said fltments I and I are mounted on a main gun arm ll whose rearend is bent over at 10 right angles and bears rotatably on a horizontalbearing tube l5, and this horizontalbearing tube is mounted at the upperend of a vertical spindle II which extends upwardly from, and rotatesin, a vertical bearing tube I'I which is behind, and rigidly secured to,the gunners seat so as to rotate therewith around the axis X-X. Thus, asstated, the whole mounting rotates about the, axis X-X, and the verticalspindle ii in the vertical bearing tube [1, constitutes the verticalaxis of rotation Y-Y of the part supporting the gun, while the bent overend of the gun arm II in the horizontal bearing tube II constitutes thehorizontal axis of rotation Z-Z for said part.

It will be seen that the gun arm it passes to 2 the side of the gunnerwhen in the seat I, whereby said arm and the gun supported thereby areadapted to be immediately manipulated by the gunner, that is, withoutthe intervention of mechanism for that purpose. It is to be understoodalso that where this expression is found in the claims, it is to beinterpreted as meaning that the gunner manually and immediatelymanipulates-the parts referred to without the intervention of operatingmechanism. 85

It will also. be seen that the gunners seat is slightly askew withrespect to the axis Y-Y, that is to say, the axis YY is not directlybehind the gunners seat. This has the effect that the recoil tends toturn the gunners seat towards the so gun arm, thereby producing acomfortable pressure between the gun arm and the gunner.

The moment of the weight of the gun and of the main gun arm ll about thesaid horizontal axis Z-Z is counterbalanced by means of a spring device.Thus the bent over and of the main gun arm it passes completely throughthe horizontal bearing tube i5 and carries at its extremity a crank l8,and the end of this crank is connected by two heavy tension springs IIand 20 to a point on a spring supporting sleeve 2! .which is rigidlysecured to the spindle ll and depends downwardly over the verticalbearing tube l'l. Thus as the gun arm it rotates about its vertical axisY- -Y, this spring supporting S8;

sleeve will rotate with it and twisting of the springs l8 and 20 will beavoided. In construction the springs I9 and 20 parallel to one anotherare connected between two short bars 22 at right angles to them, one ofwhich is centrally pivoted on a short pin 23 extending at right anglesfrom the end of the crank I8 and the other is centrally pivoted on asimilar pin 24 extending radially from the spring supporting sleeve 2i.Thus the springs can align themselves naturally in response to allpossible movements of the gun arm.

It will be appreciated that in proportion as the moment of the weight ofthe gun and gun arm ll about the horizontal axis Z-Z increases, thetension of the springs lil and-ill will increase to counterbalance suchincreased moment. It will also be seen that the arrangement permits ofthe gun being swung completely over through the vertical position.

The securement of the spring supporting sleeve 2| to the spindle I6 iseffected by means of a clamping ring 25 surrounding the upper end ofsaid sleeve as shown. Said sleeve II at its upper end is formed with avertical slot 26 to render it sufficiently resilient to be clamped onsaid spindle I6.

Said sleeve 2| also forms the means for determining the verticalposition of the spindle IS in the vertical bearing tube ll, since it isprovided with an internal downwardly facing shoulder 21 which rests onthe upper edge of said tube l1.

In the example shown, the axis YY is vertical. In some cases it may bepreferred to incline this axis to the vertical.

The main gun arm I! is of variable length, being made, as shown, in twoparts a and b which telescope one within the other. In order to preventthese two parts rotating axially with respect to each other, a pin 28extending radially from the inner part, Ila passes through alongitudinal slot 29 in the outer part Mb. For clamping the two partsIla and llb together at any desired adjustment, the rear extremity ofsaid outer part is split to render it resilient, and lugs '30 on eitherside of the split are adapted to be drawn together or released by meansof a simple cam device 3|, thereby clamping the outer part to, orreleasing it from, the inner part.

As before stated, the fittings 2 and I which support the gunare standardfittings. The eyelet at the top of fitting 2 engages with a projectionfrom the barrel of the gun and the flt-' ting 3 engages in a socket inthe stock of the gun and locks in said socket by rotating about the axisA.

Any further details are deemed clear from the drawings.

In accordance with a somewhat modified arrangement illustrated in Figure3, the gun barrel may be mounted in a ring 32 which is rotatable in anouter ring 33 whereby the barrel is enabled to rotate on its own axis,and the said outer ring 33 is mounted gimbal fashion whereby the gun isperfectly free to align itself independently of the aforesaid axes X-X,Y-Y and Z-Z. With-this arrangement the back fitting l is dispensed with,the butt end of the gun being supported by the gunner.

More particularly, the fitting 2 has secured thereto as shown the outerelement 34 of a ball race whose inner element consists of the spindle 35of the outer element 36 of the gimbal mounting, in which outer elementthe aforesaid outer ring ll rotates about its diameter. Ball bearings 31are also provided between the two rings 32 and 33, theouter ring 33, forthis purpose, being made in two parts. viz. an L-section ring and alocking ring which screw into engagement with one another to form achannel section ring receiving the outer edge of the inner ring, withthe ball bearings between them.

The mounting of the gun is suchthat the right line comes outside saidouter ring 33, and, on occasions, in the clearance between said outerring and the outer gimbal element 36 which, as

shown, is in the form of a half ring.

The projection I8 engages with 9. corresponding recess in the gunbarrel.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A gun mounting, particularly for machine guns and automatic rifles,comprising a part supporting the gun barrel, a basic bearing element, anupright spindle rotatable in said basic bearing element, a secondbearing element carried by said upright spindle, in which said partswings about a transverse axis, a crank extending from said part beyondsaid transverse axis. a sleeve connected to said spindle and extendingdownwards outside said basic bearing element, and counterbalancingspring means secured at one end to said crank and at the other end tosaid sleeve.

sleeve having an inner shoulder which engages with said basic bearingelement to support said spindle in said basic bearing element, andcounterbalancing spring means secured at one end to said crank and atthe other end to said sleeve.

3. A gun mounting particularly for machine guns and automatic rifles,comprising a rotatable gunners seat, a basic bearing element mounted onsaid gunners seat behind the gunner so as to rotate with said seat aboutthe axis of rotation thereof, an upright spindle rotatably supported .bysaid basic bearing element, a second bearing element carried by saidupright spindle, a part supporting the gun barreland rotatably supportedby said second bearing element so as to swing about a transverse axis,said part passing from the rear to one side of the gunner, so as to beadapted to be manipulated immediately by the gunner for swingingthereof.

about both said upright and transverse axes.

4. A gun mounting particularly for machine guns and automatic rifles,comprising a rotatable gunners seat, a basic bearing element mounted onsaid gunners seat behind the gunner so as to rotate with said seat aboutthe axis of rotation thereof, an upright spindle rotatably supported bysaid basic bearing element, a second bearing element carried by saidupright spindle, a part supporting the gun barrel and rotatablysupported by said second bearing element so as to swing about atransverse axis, said part passing from the rear to one side of thegunner, so as to be adapted to be manipulated immediately by the gunnerfor swinging thereof about both said upright and transverse axes, acrank extending from said part beyond said transverse axis, andcounter-balancing spring means secured at one end to said crank and atthe other to said upright spindle.

5. A gun mount comprising a base, a gunners seat including a bottomframe, means mounting said seat and frame on the base to rotate on avertical axis, said frame having front and rear ends, a gun carryingdevice laterally displaced -0 from the longitudinal center line-of theframe,

and means connecting said device to the frame behind the seat andproviding horizontal and vertical rotational axes for the training andelevation of a gun held by the gun carrying device.

6. A gun mount comprising a base, a gunners seat including a frame,means mounting said seat and frame on the base to rotate on a verticalaxis, a gun barrel carrying device positioned at one side of the'seat,and means connecting said device to the frame behind the seat andproviding horizontal and vertical rotational 10 axes for training andelevation of the gun.

LEWIS MO'I'LEY.

